John Muir Laws shares his new favorite color! See how cobalt teal blue watercolor can make your blue morpho butterflies and Ecuadorian hummingbirds sparkle! (August 2022) Read More
Category: Drawing Insects
Tips, tricks, and techniques to help you observe and draw insects.
Stewardship and Bees with Stephey Baker
In this lively conversation between John Muir Laws and Stephey Baker, we explore the world of bees and learn how Stephey was motivated to learn them, teach about them, and steward them. Stephey’s lifelong love of nature and art led her to nature journaling and botanical illustration, and recently she became part of a pollinator Read More
How to Draw Butterflies in Dynamic Positions
In this “Ask Jack” workshop, John Muir Laws teaches how to draw butterflies in different position while retaining their liveliness. (Plus learn how to tell a live butterfly from a dead butterfly in field guide illustrations!). August 2021. Read More
Watercolor Hour with Rosalie Haizlett
In this special Nature Journal Club workshop, our guest Rosalie Haizlett shares some of her favorite methods and tricks in watercolor and more, as well as a few of the major roadblocks that beginners face when it comes to watercolor, and how to move beyond them with confidence. Rosalie Haizlett is a recent author who Read More
Drawing Butterflies and Rare Birds
In this “Ask Jack” session, we learn how to draw butterflies and rare birds, starting with blocking them in, and gradually adding details and notes so as not to get overwhelmed. Read More
How to Draw Bugs
Let’s draw bugs! John Muir Laws explores drawing bugs from angles that convey their liveliness. This workshop was part of the live Ask Jack series, where participants request and choose the topic of the day. Read More
How to draw Cast Shadows (video)
Cast shadows are different than object shadows. Here are a few concepts and strategies to help you draw shadows on the ground or cast across other objects. Learn to make bug shadows and shadows beneath found objects in your nature journal. Read More
How to Draw a Shiny Beetle (video)
Carolyn found a shiny water beetle near our house. When I painted it I got a rather dull looking drawing. In this video, I rework the sketch to make it look glossy. The trick is punching up the contrast. Please excuse problems with the sound sync on this video. I was able to correct most Read More
Spider anatomy for artists
Fall is here and it is time to draw spiders. In this season female spiders have reached their full size and are ready to mate. Their webs are easily seen in the morning dew. Understanding how the body is put together will help you draw what you see with greater ease. As in insects, the body Read More
How to draw a dragonfly: Flame Skimmer
Learn how to draw the transparent wings of a dragonfly in this step-by-step demonstration. Drawing glossy transparent wings is challenging. By using this bag of tricks you will be able to suggest transparency in your drawings. Here are points to consider. Lines should be lighter when seen through the transparent membrane. Use less detail on Read More